Return to the Initiative
by Callace
Summary: AU S6. Set during All The Way. Buffy has not died, because Spike managed to save Dawn. But now The Initiative has been restarted, and they have recaptured Spike!
1. Chapter 1

**Return to the Initiative**

This sterile white ceiling he was looking up at felt strangely familiar, Spike thought hazily, as he was waking up from solid unconsiousness. Dejavú! White walls, white tiles on the floor, far to much light. A cell at the Initiative. Bloody hell! Wasn't this place shut down? He laid flat, and tried to remember how he had gotten here, but his head hurt too much to function. Had they cut it open, to check on the chip or something? Or was this residue from fighting humans? He certainly hoped the latter.

Yes, it was. It all came back to him now. They had come to him in his crypt, while the sun was still up. Four of them, all at once. He had put up the best fight he could, but the chip nearly made his head explode, and they had tazer guns…

He was pulled back to the present by the growing awareness that his legs were burning with pain too. Both of them. What the hell had these people done to him?? He put his arms under himself, and got up to sitting position to get a better view at his injuries. The first thing he saw was that they had taken his pants. What the heck was that all about? Then, on second view, his legs were so swollen that they wouldn't fit anymore… he streched out a hand and examined the most blue and bruisy spot on the left one. Ouch! Big mistake! White hot pain radiated from the touched spot, and sent shockwaves through his entire body. He laid back down, and cursed fiercefully. These legs weren't just hurt. They were broken.

"Why hasn't Spike arrived yet?" Buffy asked in frustration. "He promised to come by at sundown, to look after Dawn while I go asking at the stores for a job." "Who knows?" Xander answered. "It _is_ a bit strange of him not to come by here the moment you ask him to…" Buffy gave him an acid look, and put her coat on. "Thank you for stepping in, anyhow. You know how pressed we are for money these days" she said. "And when the bank refused to give me a loan, even though I saved a few lives over there…" She snorted, and put so much energy into buttoning her coat that one of the buttons got ripped off. "Ooops!" she winced in embarrasment. "hope no future employers cares about a coat with a lack in buttons."

At this comment, Dawn came in and announced "I know one employer who won't mind anyhow!" "You do?" Buffy looked up at her, in wrapped attention. "Yep" Dawn stated smugly. "I just got off the phone with the Initiative. They are back in operation and want you back!"

"What?!" Buffy and Xander yelled in unison. After a moment of complete shock, Buffy was the one who first regained a straight mind. "Look, I don't know what the munks made it seem like we told you about that place" she lashed out to Dawn, with a clear note of sarcasm in her voice. "But they are no good. Back when I last worked for them, they tried to kill me! And the last time we dealt with them, when Adam took control of the place, it nearly killed us all! It's a wonder that they could even think the thought of restarting that project, after all that mayhem. So no, I am not very interested in going back down there!"

"I know that they were evil" Dawn said with a half laughing voice. "you told me that much. I came around to hang out with you a little, when you were hiding away from them in Xanders basement." She stopped, and added in an afterthought "Or, at least in our minds I did…" She sighed, and threw herself into the next thing she had to say "but they said that they were better 

now. The whole management has been changed out. No more killing of employees. No more monster construction. They are a strict research institute now. And an employer who sure won't mind that your clothes are unkept, or that there is monster blood in your hair when you come to work. Think about it. You just had it demonstrated that you are not a shop attendant. And won't do well on a construction site. This job is the closest you can come to getting paid for slaying! They actually mostly want you to do that with them. As a sort of soldier body guard when they are out to capture or kill demons"

"At the risk of channeling my often-too-blunt fianceè when saying this" Xander chimed in, "she does have a point. Getting paid for slaying is the most convenient job opportunity you could hope for. And if the Initiative is willing to pay you…" Buffy gave him a look, and retorted " I would indeed expect that kind of comment more from Anya than from you. Where has my anti-Initiative "you shouldn't spend time with them"Xander gone?"

Xander looked down in embarrasment, and kicked the edge of the carpet around a little, knowing that he could not exactly tell Buffy the real reason why her working with the Initiative felt a little less revolting now than last time… before straighten in up and facing her. "Well, as Dawn are saying, there are all new people now… and especially if they are still up to no good, the best way to keep track of what they are doing, is to hang out with them a little. In that way, we might at least get a heads up if they are gathering pieces for a new Adam." He hesitated, and took a deep breath beforefinishing his chain of thought. "And you have really tried almost any job vacant already. The only place with a "help needed" sign that you havent contacted yet would be the Doublemeat Palace. Would you rather prefer that?" Buffy vinced, and sighed in resignation. "I'll think about it. Working with the Initiative again… They may kill me. But at least they won't force me to wear a stupid chicken hat".

It had been a couple of days now, cooped up in this stupid cell, going crazy from nothing happening. Nothing to do, nothing to see. Except for the ceiling opening up two times a day, to shoot out a packet of old-smelling, cold pig's blood. For a long time, Spike had been very reluctant to eat that, not only wincing at the unappetizing meal on offer, but also remembering that it used to be doped, and almost hoping that he could pull the same trick as last time he was held here. Although he knew that his broken legs would never have been up to it… They kept sending out waves of white-hot pain whenever he tried to move around a little. But sitting absolutely still on the same spot, in that cell for days and nights on end was slow torture in itself. Just waiting, like a pig for the slaughter. Never knowing when they'd come to hurt him more… Well, at least he promised himself that when they did, he would do his very best to take them down with him! He really hoped they'd do it soon. Come. Just sitting down, waiting for impending doom, really wasn't his thing!!

Eventually, his hollow aching hunger had driven him to eat. At the third day, when the evening packet was shot out, he reached out for it, feeling deeply humiliated as he ripped the plastic with his fangs, and gulped it down. The taste was as repelling as expected. Dead and cold and probably at the far end of it's shelf life. But, at least if he could keep himself from puking, it put his demanding, hollow stomach to ease for a little while. He laid back, and daydreamt about humans. Fresh, delicious Happy Meals on legs, ready to be picked off whenever he desired it. Aww. Those were the days. Before this sodden institution came along and ruined his unlife. How much he would give for a human in here now. A girl, a sweet 

smelling blonde, squirming and screaming helplessly in his arms, and a chip free ability to devour her…

He tried to keep this fantasy alive for as long as possible, but the constant noise of the containing area wouldn't let him forget where he was. A highly annoying recently put in neighbour had been in panic ever since arrival, and never stopped trashing around in his cell, and banging the walls. At least, Spike thought, this creature, whoever he is, still has all limbs intact, from the sound of it. Couldn't he take a break?! That bugger must be getting on everyone else's nerves by now… "Shut up, will you?" he yelled at it in frustration. Another few bangs, then his neightbour yelled something back… in Fyarl. Of course! Only a Fyarl-demon would be stupid and restless enough to keep on trashing about like that. "Want.. out!!" the Fyarl-demon growled. "Don't we all?" Spike answered, in his best Fyarl-growl. "but trashing abound like that isn't gonna get you anywhere. The walls are solid rock, in case you haven't noticed". " Need to kill, crush, destroy!" his neighbour spit out, in classic Fyarl manner. "Totally with you there. But killing the walls isn't a project I'd recommend." Spike replied, considering to give the neighbour some advise about thinking, and making a plan, to manage a successful hit, kick and run. But this was a Fyarl-demon, so that would be a waste of breath. And besides, he coundn't even remember what "thoughtful planning" translated to in Fyarl. Very possibly, the term didn't exist.

So he rather just did his best to shut the noise out, and go back to his own thoughts. Even though that wasn't really much better… As time went by it became harder and harder to hold on to nice and thrilling fantasies, such as ways to kill Initiative-soldiers, if he was free and fit and de-chipped. Soon, painful longing was all there was in him. Longing for warm blood, cigarettes, the comfort of his own bed… and Buffy! Wonderful, gorgeous, strong and passionate Buffy. The adoreable, sweet, lovely slayer, who he would never see again. That thought, more than any other, nearly made him cry. He formed her face in his mind, pictured her beautiful green eyes, her soft blonde hair and her spotless skin…

And then, just as his grief-stricken yearning was reaching it's peak, he could have sworn he saw her. Standing there outside of his cell, staring in at him, with eyes widening in shock, and gasping, like seeing him there caused her pain. Yeah right… the slayer here, and worried about him? Get real, Spike!

Buffy sat in a chair, at the new Initiative-commander's office. Looking up at him, and trying to figure him out. After long nights of thinking, and counting pros and cons, she had reluctantly decided to accept the job. She had consulted Giles about it, and he agreed with Xander that it could be a good idea to keep a close eye on them, if the Initiative was really starting up again, to make sure that they were not up to causing more mayhem. And, although she was almost reluctant to admit that to herself, she had another, more important reason to want to get reaquinted with these facilities too. She hadn't heared from Spike in three days. And when she went to his crypt to find out why he didn't show up to look after Dawn as promised, she had found it empty. And trashed. Like there had been a fight. Right now… when the Initative was back into capturing vampires…

She had been equipped with a security clearance for the Initiative facilities and lead up to the command central, to receive more detailed orders about what her responsibilities in this job would be. Mostly outside work, it seemed. Protecting the soldiers on patrol, if necessary by 

killing the hostile subterrestrials, when they were out to find new subjects for their research, and helping them taking the HSTs back to base. Now, after finishing giving these instructions, the commander got up, and asked her if she would like a tour of the rebuilt underground lab before leaving for the day. She gratefully accepted.

She was handed over to a lower level commander, who was guiding her through the tour. After seeing the weapons and equippment storerooms, and the research lab, she was finally lead towards the HST containing area. Trying to hide her heartbeat and nerves going haywire to the guide, she asked what kind of research they were most into with the demons nowadays. "We do lots of things, as you can see, but our main project for the moment is vampire healing-reasearch" the guide replied. "We know that vampires heal surprisingly fast, and want to figure out how fast, and why. And how much, if any, medical care a vampire needs to heal completely. So we study injured vampires, by oberservation, and by cutting tissue samples from a selection of them, to analyze, and see what goes on in their bodies during the healing process." Buffy shuddered, as images of badly injured Spike flowed through her mind.

They walked by cell after cell. Buffy identified a big Pargo demon. Then a furious Fyarl. Then, as they were entering what clearly must be the vampire sone… Her eyes widened, and her heart stopped beating. There! Blonde hair, black shirt, blue eyes staring at her, with a weird, unreadable expression in them. She gasped out loud when her eyes wandered down his body, to the oddly distorted, still somewhat blueish naked legs, which seemed to be healing with the bones askew…

She pulled herself together, and ran after the guide, who had stopped a few cells further down the hall, and gave her a puzzled look. "Does injured vampires bother you, Slayer?" he asked in confusion. Buffy took a deep breath, and focused all her will power on clearing her mind and steadying her voice, not to raise his suspision any further. If she was gonna be able to get Spike out of here, she'd better not give away such thoughts, in any way. "I usually just dust them" she answered, as business-like as she could muster. "Go for the kill, not injure. And certainly not watch them suffer afterwards" She was not quite able to keep the accusation out of her voice, as they walked past more cells, filled with vampires with oddly contorted legs. Her guide shrugged and walked on. "Well, they are evil soulless things. I don't exactly feel too guilty about it." Buffy nodded, trying to swallow her nausea, as she looked into the cages of another set of vamps, now with broken legs nicely put in splints, and healing well. The guide continued talking. "Bet a lot of them would feel great about doing way worse things to us. For pleasure, not scientific benefit." Yeah, Buffy though, ironically. That makes this oh so much better. All this pain and suffering for the scientific achivement of finding out that broken legs need splints, even with speedy healing. "Of course" she muttered in reply. "They are evil."


	2. Chapter 2

**Return to The Initiative**

**Chapter 2**

"Buffy!" Dawn greeted, as Buffy came home from the Initiative. "how was it? Did you go patrolling with them already?" Then, upon seeing her sisters expression, of shock anger and pain. "Who died?" "Noone" Buffy answered in an undertone, as she wriggled out of her coat, and threw it forcefully onto the hat-and-coat stand "It was a completely no slaying no dying kind of meeting with them." She tried to walk away, up to the second floor, but Dawn followed her. "Well, at least tell me…" she insists, nervously, with voice shaking a little. "Did you see Spike there?"

"What?" Buffy whirled around, and looked her sister into the eyes for the first time. "How do you…" "Know?" Dawn finished for her, sharply. "Contrary to popular belief, I am not a dumb kid anymore. Spike didn't show up to babysit the other day, and we all know he wouldn't do that. So I went to his crypt to check on him, and it looked trashed. Most any demon coming in there, he could handle, so the logical answer: the Initiative."

Buffy sighed, and sat down on the stairs, holding her head in her hands. Dawn sat down next to her, and stared aimlessly into space, while they were both thinking the same. Dawn was the first one to say it. "We have to find a way to get him out of there." "It's not that easy" Buffy started. "We can't just walk in there and ask them to please hand over a demon." "why not?" Dawn replied in a temper. "That's pretty much what you did for Oz!" Buffy just sat there, and couldn't find anything to say to that, so Dawn continued. "Spike has saved our lives who knows how many times. And mine twice just recently. There is no way we are gonna let him suffer and die!" "You are right." Buffy sighed deeply, and pulled herself together, trying to think out a plan. "But not today. The place is emptying out for the upcoming Halloween tomorrow. That is the perfect time. No soldiers on guard that night, and way fewer demons to encounter outside. But we need help. Perhaps a power cut, and some spells. Let's call Willow."

"I sm not sure this will work very well" Willow objected, after having heard the plan Buffy and Dawn had cooked up while waiting for her. "I agree that Halloween is clearly the best time to do it, with the far lesser chance of getting caught or disrupted. But don't you remember last ime we had a rescue mission there…for Oz?" she swallowed hard, and seemed like she was getting lost in memories for a little while. "even if I hack into their computer system and cut the power, they still have emergency power supplies, that cannot be turned off. At least for the important functions, like the force fields that's locking the containing cells. You would have to have a key card for the cell doors to get past those." "Buffy's look is getting all the more determined the more she hears, and she replies, shortly "Well. Thankfully, I do. They gave me one in case I came across some big nasty on patrol, that I would like them to take a closer look at. I was hoping I wouldn't have to use it, but you are right, looks like the power cut isnt gonna do the trick. So, forget about that, and help me do some magic instead!"

"ok." Willow replied, after being given her instructions. "I can do that. But you, are you going in all alone? Are you sure you don't want anyone to come with you?" "No need." Buffy asnwered. "I can handle it on my own. And need you back here. And Dawn, NO, you do not 

get to come!" "Wouldn't have the time anyway" Dawn snorted back. "I'm sleeping over at Janice's for Halloween , remember?

Spike lay down on the floor of his cell, and tried to get a good day's sleep. Didn't work very well. The floor was too hard and cold for comfort. And the lights in this place clearly never stopped shining! Hello! Creatures of the night kept here, remember? Is a little bit of darkness too much to ask? All this endless waiting for impending torture and death, and then they wouldn't even let him sleep the time away. Arrg!

He took his duster off, but before he could decide whether to use it as mattress under him, or trow it over his head to block out the light, he could hear rapid footsteps coming his way, along with human conversation. He hurried to put the duster on again, and listened in wrapped attention. Were they finally coming?

"Damn unlucky shift to have, so close to Halloween" one soldier was complaining. "Well," his companion said, "we are at least lucky to be getting time off for the holyday itself. Lets just complete this last vampire tissue sampling, and get home, shall we?"

So that was their intentions, heh? To cut him up, and bring little pieces of him back to their lab? No way! Not if he could prevent it! They went up to his cell, and one opened it with his key card. The other was holding a big knife, and a tetris dish. Spike snarled, and flashed his fangs at them. The soldiers just gave each others a look. "Fresh one" the one commented to the other. "Always a little fierstier in the beginning." The other shrugged, and went up towards Spike while replying "lets just get this done, shall we?" The knife moved down towards his left leg, and he aimed a blow towards the hand that held it – and recoiled in blinding headache. The soldiers chuckled, and the one in the back sent a knowing I told you so look to the other, who made another move with his knife towards Spike's leg.

Ok, so no hitting. But they are damn well not gonna get to do this! He tried moving away, pulling his immobile legs after him on the floor. It hurt like hell, like there was already a hundred knives in them, cutting thought to the bone. But it was at least more tolerable that the chip kicking in… The soldiers smiled patiently, like they were dealing with a stubborn child, and walked slowly after him, untill they had him chased up into a corner, where the one positioned himself strategically in the way of more moving. Then he bent down, holding Spike's legs still, using a position that brought his head very close to his fangs. It was such an obvious provocation that Spike just couldn't help it. Had to pull himself a little bit forward, and sink them into this damn buggers neck, and then get thrown screaming back towards the wall from the pain of doing so. There was nothing more he could do. Just feel the knife, as it went deep into his injuries, and carved up some flesh from around the fractures.

After having collected their tissue samples, put them in the dish and sealed it, the soldiers retreated from the cell. Just as they were leaving, one of them turned to Spike, and talked to him for the first time. "Don't worry. Sooner or later you are gonna realize that there is no use in fighting back. We always get our way with you. Then the headaches will go away."

Spike scowled at him, and then, as soon as they were gone, collapsed in his corner. The humiliation, and fresh pain from the legs melted together with the still very noticeable 

headaches into one red, aching haze. Add the starvation and exhaustion brought upon by the living conditions in this place, and the overload brought unconciousness.

He woke up from someone handling him again. Arrg! He flashed his fangs at them, and growled, halfway expecting another taunt. But… wow… whoever it was actually pulled back. He tried to clear his head enough to get a clear sight of who is was, when a wonderfully familiar voice hit his ears. "It's not them. It's me. I have come to get you out of here."

"Buffy?" he whispered, unable to believe his ears. But there she was, sitting down next to him, amiling and nodding. She made another attempt to lift him up into her arms. But he pulled out of her grip. Being carried like a baby! How undignifying was that? He tried to get up, and gather his infirm legs under himself, but they were of course less than willing to comply, and he fell back down on the floor, with a load groan of both pain and humiliation.

"you're not in any state to walk, ok?" Buffy said briskly "So just get over yourself and let me carry you" "Ok" he accepted, with a deeply embarrassed smile. But then, as she stretched out her arms for him again, his mind seemed to kick back into function, and he once again asked her to hold back, and held out his hands with palms against her to make her stop. "how did you get here? Will you get in trouble over this?" He could sense that Buffy was starting to lose her patience, but he just had to know this. There was no way he was gonna let her put herself in grave danger because of him! "talk later," she snapped "escape now. Let's go!" "No. The last time we broke in here, there soon enough was plenty of soldiers pointing their guns at us… despites careful planning. And had we not had their boss hostage, I am pretty sure they would have made toast of us." He sighed, trying to make her see his point. "and they nearly killed you before that too, for far less than this."

Ok. Now, Buffy was seriously losing her temper. She had come all this way to rescue this vampire, and no he was telling her she shouldn't?! Damn him! She couldn't take it, so she lashed out. "Well actually, the last time we went up against the Initiative, it was when you tried to kill me, conspiring with Adam. But we took down them and him and all the armies of hell they had managed to gether here." Ouch! So not the thing to say right now! She could see it in his face, that she had gone too far with that one. But apologizing felt impossible. And besides, not really called for. But she had to try find some way to make it better, for this was starting to feel even more wrong and weird than it ever had… "I just meant…" she said, trying to keep her voice matter-of-factly. But it betrayed her, by still shivering slightly. "That it takes way more than just some angry soldier boys to take me down. That I can take care of myself" She looked down at his fractured legs, and her voice turned softer "But at the moment, you can't. So let me help you."

She lifted him up, and carried him out of the facilites, past all the other vampires, sitting in their cells with broken legs, with or without splints. At least the nearest ones must have overheared the conversation in the cell, because they were looking at them with such a strange mix of puzzlement, longing and envy on their faces. The ones further down the line mostly scowled at the sight of the vampire and the slayer, probably wondering what fate that poor bugger was going off to now.

As they got out into the night, Spike just lay there, looking up at the stars, and feeling the cool night breeze, that he was starting to wonder whether he would ever feel again, brush gently 

past his face. Isn't it funny how life can change on a dime, from heaven to hell, and back again. A short week ago, he thought he was going off to spend the evening with the slayer and her little sister. Then these soliders came, and took him, and left him stuck in that hellhole, intentionally untill there was nothing left of him but a pile of dust. And now, as suddenly, he was laying in his beloved slayers arms, on his way to freedom and recovery…

It was totally unbelieveable. Her words to him in there still burnt inside of him. She was right of course. He had caused her way more pain and mortal danger than the Initiative ever had. In a just world, he would have been dust by now. But clearly, the world was not just, because here he was, headed away from danger, by her steady steps. He laid back, feeling the strong heartbeat in her chest against his silent one, and syncronized his breath with hers.

As Buffy got home, and opened the door, she was met By Giles, with clear bruises all over his face and neck, and a hand held against his chest, where the rolled up shirt revealed a few broken bones. "So there you are!" he snorted furiously.


	3. Chapter 3

**Return to The Initiative**

**Chapter 3**

Buffy took a long and shocked look at Giles. At the same time, she could hear moans and whimpers from the living room. Spike looked at Giles too, and opened his mouth to say something, but Giles beat him to it: "Buffy! I hope you are aware of the grave danger you have put yourself in by doing this. Not to mention the consequences of not being here!"

"Can you please wait with the lecture till I have gotten into the house?" Buffy snapped in distress. "How are the others? What happened?" She walked into the living room, and saw Anya putting Xander's fractured arm in a sling and cleaning up the bleeding wounds in his face. Willow was bandaging Tara's left foot, and was herself sporting a giant bruise on her shoulder, where an ice pack was about to fall out of it's not too secure binding.

"Wow!" Spike whistled. "Looks like this place has just upgraded, from taking in one cripple to a full size infirmatory!" The whole gang turned, and stared at him, intentively. Buffy looked down in embarrassment, and then put him down on the floor, alongside the wall. He scowled at her, and tried to manouver himself into a somewhat more dignifying upright sitting position.

"Okay, now please tell me" Buffy said in distress, "what happened here??" All eyes moved from Spike, to her, and then to Dawn, penetrating her with accusatory stares. "Dawn" Giles started. "would you mind fill your sister in on what you did?" Dawn blushed, and looked down, as she fiddled with the end of the carpet. "I… I wasn't really at Janice's tonight. That was just something I told you to get to hang out with her and some friends of hers in the park." She blushed deeper, and choked forth the rest of her confession. "and these friends turned out to be…" she looked up at Buffy, in almost too much shame to say it "…vampires" "What!" Buffy exploded. "You lied to me, you ran away, and you were hanging out in the woods at night with guys you didn't know? How… how stupid are you?!" Dawn winced, and looked like she was gonna start crying. Buffy continued her rant all the same. "Do you have any idea how easily those guys could have killed you? You… you've seen what they did to the others!"

"And they were able to do that" Giles cut in, "because the Slayer suddenly weren't there to fight them! What the heck were you thinking, Buffy…" "That wasn't her fault" Dawn cut himn off. "I begged her to do that. She did quite right in going in to rescue Spike tonight, it's my fault that you guys ended up getting hurt at the same time." She looked around at everyone, with eyes begging for forgivenness. "It is Halloween. Creatures of the night take a break then. I didn't think anything bad would happen to us!"

Willow nodded, looked at Buffy, and walked up towards Spike, changing the subject. "I have done as you said, put up a bed in the recently dried out basement, and found the right barrier spell to use on it. If the soldiers come here looking, they wont be able to walk down there." Then she turned to Spike, and looked at his broken legs. "Lucky the rest of today's wound care is pretty much finished. This looks like it can be quite a job"

Buffy lifted Spike up, and started carrying him towards the basement. He grunted a little at the indignity of being carried away like a baby, but couldn't do much about it. When they came down, Willow pulled the sheets away, and Buffy put Spike to bed, and started feeling 

her way down his legs, to see how askew the bones had gotten. He groaned with the pain of that, and she let go, and turned to Willow. "We still have some liqour left, from Xander and Anya's engagement party, right?" "Yeah, I suppose so" Willow replied with a frown. "Do you want it?" "Yes. Yanking these bones back into position is gonna hurt like hell, and we have no other tranquilizers. Go get it"

.

When Spike woke up again, he was at first a bit cunfused as to where he was. This was not the cold, hard floor of the Initiative cell. Neither was it his own bed in his crypt. He looked around at the stuff stashed there. The laundry, the washing machine. Of course. He was in Buffy's basement. Comfortably tucked in, but with a bad hang over. Aww, it was all coming back to him now. The rescue operation. Willow's spell. Safety.

He pulled the blankets aside, and took a look at his legs, now straightened out, and put properly into splints. Aww, good. Then that problem was taken care of. Another few days, a week maybe, and he'd be able to use them again. He couldn't wait.

Just then, the door opened, and the niblet came walking down the stairs. She stopped at the last step, and smiled at him, cautiously, before coming all the way up to his bed. He looked at her and smiled back. "Hey, niblet!" Her face lit up in a real broad smile in response to the greeting. "Hey, you're awake! How are you?" "Getting steadily better" he smiled, reassuringly. "Will be up and at it again in not too long, I'd figure!" "good" she replied, and then, in a warm, caring tone, "in the mean time, is there anything I can do for you?"

Aww, she sounded like she actually meant it, like there was nothing she'd rather do right now than caring for him. It was too good to be true, he thought with shame. He was so unworthy of such tender care. But if she really wanted to do something… "can you get something to eat? Havent had a proper meal in days." Ouch! Way to go, Spike! Now she really looked sorry for him. Pity party! But she didn't walk away up to kichen or something. She just came closer, bent down, till her face was at level with his, and then pulled down her sweater at the neck. "Here. Eat me!"

"What? Are you out of your mind? I can't do that!" "Not all, of course. But some. I have enough to share." She couldnt be meaning this! She just couldn't! "Dawn, think about this! Are you serious?" "Yes" She straigthened up and looked at him with sincere intensity. "I was made out of Buffy, We have the same blood. Slayer blood. It has extra healing effects on vampires. You are badly injured. Let me do this for you." Spike looked away, in awe, forcing back tears. This was just too much. Dawn interpreted it like he was still not convinced of her sincerity, and continued her speech."If it hadnt been for you, my blood would have been spread out over all the portals to every dimention in existance by now. I would have been gone, and perhaps the world too. There wouldn't have been a drop left of me. So really, it is all yours already. Just take it!"

She knelt down again, and he turned to her, warily, hoping that he had the lump of tears in his throat under control. "You don't have to do this, you know. You don't owe me anything…" "Yes, I do!" She cut him off. "I owe you my life. Now, please, let me give some of it back to you!" They shared a look, both struggling to keep their tears back, none said anything for a while, Then he asked "What does Buffy think about this?". "Do we need her permission?" 

Dawn replied sharply, like the question offended her. Then, upon seeing the cross look on his face, she shrugged and got up. "Ok. If it's that important, I'll go ask her"

She walked up, and found her sister in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Feeling very insecure about how to bring forth her request, she ended up just standing there, looking at her, untill Buffy grinned, and demanded "Ok, Dawn, what is it?" Ok, time to jump into it. Find somewhere to start, anyhow. "Spike has woken up, and is really hungry." "Ahh, right.. of course" Buffy nodded. "I'll stop by the butcher's as soon as I can find the time." "Fine" Dawn continued "but I don't want to have to wait for that. And I feel pig's blood might not have the strong healing effect that he needs right now, after this ordeal. I want to feed him personally… from me." Dawn gulped, and looked up at her sister with equal parts of deep anxiety and "don't you dare to stop me"determination.

Buffy looked at her with eyes wide open for a little while, struggling with her bafflement over this proposition, before snorting out "What is it with you and vampires, Dawn?! First, you go out and date one, ending up almost getting the whole gang killed, and then you come here insisting on getting bitten??" "Yeah, right" Dawn replied, in cold temper "It got to be something about me. Because, you know, it's not like you ever done those three things". Now, Buffy's mood went from bafflement, to real anger. "That was different!!" "Sure" Dawn yelled, losing her ironic calm. "It always is when it's you, right?"

Buffy shivered with frustration, but took a deep breath, and gathered herself, not really willing to take a fight with her sister right then. "No, it is not. It is the same for all of us. And take it from me: A romance with a vampire never ends well. So you'd do better not to try it." Dawn calmed down too, realizing that quarreling was the last thing she needed to do, to achieve her goal with this conversation. Instead, she tried for calm explaination. "As to the guy in the park, I didn't know he was a vampire. I was shocked when I found out. And I ended up staking him." She caught her breath, and continued. "And my need to help Spike has nothing to do with that, or any crush I might have had on him in the past. All that is over now. He's just a friend. And besides, I know I would never have a chance with him anyway, since he only has eyes for you." Buffy blushed, and looked away a little at that comment. Dawn continued. "I just feel that he has been there for me so much lately, without ever getting anything back. He has risked his life for me twice in just the last couple of months. Now, if I am able to finally help him in some way, some way that matters, I really want to do it." Buffy gave her a long searching glance, and then nodded.

Then the Summers women came down in the basement together. Buffy first exchanged a last look with Dawn, and then turned to Spike and said: "Appearantly, this is important to Dawn, so it's fine by me. Just be careful with her." Upon seeing that he is far from reassured by that assertion, and receiving another pleading look from Dawn, she smiled and said, a bit more brightly "It really is. Drink and get better."

Dawn bent down again, next to Spike's head, and folded down her sweater neck. He looked at Buffy again, warily. She smiled, and nodded, so he hesitantly got into game face and closed his fangs gently around the Little Bit's neck. But, just at the moment of penetration, his head exploded again, and he recoiled, panting to ease the pain.

Dawn pulled back in a flutter, and winced at him. "I'm sorry!" "Not your fault, Niblet." Spike reassured her, as he rubbed his head and ceased breathing. "I just guess those tidy little tin soldiers didn't like your proposition."

Dawn stood still for a little while, thinking, then pulled Buffy along with her, and rushed out of the room. Shortly after, she returned, with a cup and knife, and a very hesitant sister behind her, carrying a first aid kit. She cut open her artery, and let the blood pour out into the cup, untill it was nearly filled, then she pressed a thumb against her wrist, to stop the bleeding, and had Buffy come up to her with bandages. Then she handed the cup to Spike, and smiled shyly.

He nearly couldn't believe his eyes at this vision. That the Niblet would really do something like this for him! And with Buffy's approval. He couldn't help his eyes from watering, and his hand shivered slighty when he reached out for the cup. The moment he got it, the sisters gathered up the knife and first aid kit, and left the room, like they knew that he was too touched to be able to say anything right then. He felt a rush of gratitude towards them just for that, and felt his thoat clogging up with all the more emotion, untill he wondered if he was going to manage swallowing. He lifted the cup to his nose, and smelled it. Smelled her. Sweet and warm and powerful. Perfect. Slowly, he put the up to his mouth, and took a small sip of it, tasting it carefully, letting the delicious drops swirl around in his mouth a bit before swallowing. Awww! Wow!

Upstairs , the doorbell rang. Willow went to open it, and when she came back to the scoobies gathered in the livingroom, she was followed by a group of three serious, and clearly high ranking Initiative officers. They nodded stiffly to the gang, and then went straight for Buffy, who straightened her back, and braced herself for what was to come. The Intitiative officer with the highest rank, who she recognized as the commander she had been given instructions by on her first day on the job there, spoke first, in cold, official soldier manners. "Miss Summers. I assume you know that Hostile 17 went missing from the containing area of our facilities last night." He didn't wait for an answer before he continued, in a bit sharper, more accusatory tone. "I assume this because your key card was the last one used on the door to it's cell. At a highly unreglementary time." He paused, and gave her a penetrating stare. "Now. What do you have to say for yourself?" Buffy returned his stare, and replied, in an equally stony voice "You are quite right." "What?" The commander replied, a bit put out. "That's all? I am right?" "Yes." Buffy said, still as coldly. "And what do you intend to do about it?" Now, the commander smirked, and seemed to have regained his controlled mannerism. "I'll tell you. First, we'll search these premises for the HST, Then we'll take you with us, probably to jail for a right long time."

At this point, Giles interviened, getting up from his place in the couch, and over to them. "I think you'd better think it through very carefully, before you do such a thing. Buffy is the slayer. With her away, who know what will happen the next time the Hellmouth gets a little extra active?" The soldiers turned and looked at him. Their commander frowned, and asked "who are you?" and after a closer look at his injuries "and what happened to you?" Giles smiled at him, and chose the second question as the best to answer. "I was recently forced to fight down a vampire attack without the Slayer." The commander took his first decent look around the room, and noticed the visible cuts and bruises on nearly everybody's hands and faces, and the sling carrying Xander's arm. He gasped a little, before turning back to Buffy, staring intensely at her. She found this the time to make her next point. You told me in you office a few days ago, about the difficulty in recruiting men for this operation, after the rumours of what had been going down there the last time the Initiative was active. You also expressed you confidence in me as the one who could protect them. I can. But I do a whole lot more than that. I am the chosen one. I don't know how much of the Slayer legend you are familiar with, but that is the way it is."

He looked around, at the injuries of the others, then at the very determined slayer in front of him. Thought about the recuiting difficulties she had mentioned, and the records of the great battle that had lead their institution to shut down the last time. Where it said that it was all due to Agent Finn, her and this group that anyone survived in there. And yes, he did happen to have heared a bit of the Slayer tales. And had encounted enough monsters to really hope they were true.

"Ehh" he ventured, trying his best not to voice his uncertaincy. "We might consider not pressing charges on this matter, if you will agree to work for us for the whole two years this project will be in operation. And hand over the hostile right now."

Buffy kept staring at him, without flinching, and replied, in stern but polite tones. "That is good.If you drop the charges, I would be glad to keep working for you. But I can not let you have my vampire." The commander gave her a look of complete puzzlement. "Why? I am sorry, but I am having a really hard time seeing the logics in all of this. Why would the Slayer put everything on the line to save a vampire?" Buffy smiled, and chuckled a little. "It's complicated. If I tried to tell you, you probably wouldn't believe me. But that is my prize. Stay away from him, and I'll work for you."

The commander thought for a bit, and discussed the proposition with his companions. Then he turned back to her, and nodded. "Ok, Slayer. As long as you put in your best efforts to keep our men safe while hunting HSTs, and are at call for any emergency, we will not touch your pet." Buffy smiled, and nodded back. "Good. Then we have an agreement!" They rose from their seats, and shook hands, and then the officers left.

After this, time went by as usual. Spike healed in the basement, while Buffy went patrolling with the Initiative, as promised. Comforting herself with the very uplifting piece of information the commander had let slip, that the project was only meant to last two years. After about a week, Spike's legs had healed sufficiently to be posible to walk on again, under the supervision of Willows magical X-ray, controlling that the bones were constantly straight. A day a little after this, Buffy came home from one of her patrols, finding him rummaging through her weapons trunk.

"Hey…" she said, making him wince, and turn to her. "…what's up?" "Nothing much" he replied, shrugging. "I just figured that now, when no more medical care is needed, I might go back to my own crypt again. Have outstayed your hospitality already." "Don't worry about that." Buffy said, a bit flustered. "Dawn loves having you around…" She paused, and they shared a look. "…and I really don't mind it either" she finished, as a vaguely embarrassed concession.

Spike smiled, and shared in on her embarrassment. "No. You've done enough for me already. Just the deal you cut with the tin soldiers. That was far too much in itself…" He dived back into the weapons trunk, and resurfaced holding on to a bottle of holy water, which he pocketed, while explaining. "…But if they don't keep their part of it, I want some sort of insurance that they will never be able to take me back there." Buffy looked at him and frowned. "I doubt that holy water will have much effect on Initiative soldiers." "No." Spike replied, matter-of-factly. "But it will work on me."


End file.
